Toyota technical center in Japan published a dispersed clay/polyimide (nylon) nanocomposites, which can be distinguished from traditional clay/polymer composites. The clay/polymer composites with a character—nano-scale dispersion have to overcome the compatibility between hydrophilic polymeric substrates and hydrophobic polymeric substrates. Therefore, modification of a 2D layered material is of importance for the application of the 2D layered material. For example, TW patent No. I230181 discloses a method for manufacturing waterborne polyurethane/clay nanocomposites, which includes modifying layered clay with C6 to C18 diamine, then pre-polymerizing the layered clay being modified with waterborne polyurethane to form a stable dispersion (i.e. waterborne polyurethane/clay nanocomposite) after chain elongation. TW patent No. I230181 discloses a method for manufacturing modified clay, polyurethane/clay nanocomposites, which includes using a hydrophobic modifier and a reactive modifier (with —OH and —NH functional groups). The reactive modifier has a functional group that is able to react with polyurethane.
Other literatures reported an intercalating agent for layered silicate clay includes amine, such as 12-aminoluric acid, hexadecylamine, fatty amine, bis(2-hydroxyethyl)methyl tallow alkyl ammonium chloride, stearylamine or the like, or quaternary ammonium salt. Such intercalating agent has polar ammonium functional groups being able to ion exchange with ionic molecules between layers and to alter the hydrophilicity of clay to organic solvent-philicity in order to increase the affinity of clay layered platelets to organic monomers or polymers, which is beneficial for further compatibility, intercalation and exfoliation. For example, Prior art discloses a method for manufacturing modified organic layered composites. It indicates that novel modified organic layered composites formed with an intercalating agent for modification of layered materials, which has superior interaction with most polymeric materials to form exfoliated composites. Another prior art reported that the length of alkylamine salt intercalating agent is related to interlayered spacing. Suitable spacing between layers allows accessibility of epoxy resin monomers for polymerization to further disperse layered inorganic materials such that those materials perform as nanomaterials. Another prior art also control interlayered spacing between clay layers between 20 Å and 92Å by changing the molecular weight of polypropylene ether amines (MW 230˜5000), hydrophilic/hydrophobic interaction, branched structure of molecules and the ratio of quaternary amine. Through critical conformation change mechanism, it can be summarized that the interlayered spacing is positively related to the molecular length of the intercalating agent. Therefore, the change of molecular weight, number of functional groups or properties of intercalating agent is able to further provide 2D layered material different dispersed forms and configurations for specific effective applications. For example, Another prior art disclose methods for manufacturing amine terminal-Mannich oligomer and amine-terminating epoxy oligomers, which include using an intercalating agent and layered silicate inorganic clay to conduct an intercalation in acidic conditions and to further achieve exfoliation by controlling the acidation, which improves mechanical property, transparency, thermal property and the like of the composite. Another prior art provides an olilgoaniline exfoliating agent, exfoliated platelet-shaped clay comprising the exfoliating agent and preparation thereof. Furthermore, Another prior art provides multi-functional hyperbranched organic polyamines formed by polymerizing poly(oxypropylene)-triamine and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA). The exfoliating agent directly exfoliates inorganic clay, such as montmorillonite, mica and so on, through intercalation and exchange reaction, which becomes random form of nanosilicate platelets as antibacterial materials through ion exchange extraction. US publication No. 20100190905 also provides a hyperbranched polymer modifier for clay composite, which has an average molecular weight of 200˜30000, also includes 5˜300 hydroxyl groups and 0˜100 carbonyl groups and has an interlayered spacing being up to 3˜20 nm, which improve the compatibility between clay and polymers.